No, there are no man-eating plants or leaf-growing animals. The idea of an organism both photosynthesizing and hunting for food might seem strange, but this isn't science fiction. This organism, an example of
Euglena
, is a protist that can feed like an animal or use the energy of the sun to make food like a plant.

Protists Nutrition

The cells of
protists
need to perform all of the functions that other cells do, such as grow and reproduce, maintain homeostasis, and obtain energy. They also need to obtain food to provide the energy to perform these functions.

Some animal-like protists use their "tails" to eat. These protists are called
filter-feeders
. They acquire nutrients by constantly whipping their tails, called
flagellum
, back and forth. The whipping of the flagellum creates a current that brings food into the protist.

Other animal-like protists must "swallow" their food through a process called
endocytosis
. Endocytosis happens when a cell takes in substances through its membrane. The process is described below:

The protist wraps around its prey, which is usually bacteria.

It creates a
food vacuole
, a sort of "food storage compartment," around the bacteria.

The protist produces toxins which paralyze its prey.

Once digested, the food material moves through the vacuole and into the cytoplasm of the protist.

Also, some of the animal-like and fungi-like protists are parasitic and absorb nutrients meant for their host, harming the host in the process.

Slime molds live on decaying plant life and in the soil.

Vocabulary

endocytosis
: Process of bringing food into a cell during which the plasma membrane folds inward to form a vesicle around the prey.

filter-feeder
: Animal that obtains organic matter for nutrition by filtering particles out of water.